By Prisca Promise Mashushu:
The Electricity Generation Company (Malawi) Limited (EGENCO) has assured Malawians that it is addressing challenges affecting power generation in the country with about USD8.1 million allocated towards procurement of spare parts for the faulty power plants.
In a statement issued on Monday, EGENCO says all its hydropower generation units are operational, except Nkula B Unit 6, which has developed a technical fault and is currently out of service.
The EGENCO management says its workforce is working diligently to restore affected generation units and strengthen the Malawis power supply.
“Government has been very supportive that almost USD8.1 million has been allocated for spares acquisition. We have since paid for the most critical spares through such support,” reads the statement in part.
The statement says Nkula A Power Station is currently generating 24 megawatts (MW) against its installed capacity of 35.1MW due to worn-out turbine shaft seals, while Tedzani Units 5 and 6 are operating at a combined reduced capacity of 5MW due to debris and stones accumulating at the intake following the impact of Cyclone Ana in 2022.
“Most of these challenges have arisen due to delays in the procurement of critical spare parts over the past two to three years due to forex constraints,” reads the statement in part.
EGENCO further says it has put measures in place to restore full generation capacity, including working around the clock to return all affected machines to full operational capacity.
On Nkula B Unit 6, which has a generation capacity of 20MW, EGENCO says damaged generator bearing parts, including the shaft, are being dismantled and will be transported to the Original Equipment Manufacturers workshop in South Africa for repairs.
“The Government of Malawi, through the Reserve Bank, has allocated foreign exchange for the procurement of the required spare parts. As of July 2026, all spare parts had been fully paid for, manufactured and are currently being shipped into the country to arrive in September 2026,” reads the statement.
The statement adds that the affected units are expected to return to their full generation capacity by the end of September 2026 upon completion of the repairs.
On Tedzani Units 5 and 6, the company says it had engaged a contractor to remove debris and stones from the intake area and was mobilising equipment for the specialised works.
To this effect, the works are expected to enable the two units to operate at full generation capacity once completed, with the exercise expected to be completed by December 2026.
EGENCO has assured the nation that it will continue addressing the challenges with urgency and determination by working to restore affected generation units and strengthen the reliability of Malawis power supply.
